Ignition mechanism for internal-combustion engines



0. Y. KNIGHT. V IGNITION MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I APPLICATION FILED OCT. 17, IBIS.

1 ,350.8 1 5 at ted Aug- 24, 192i WNW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

IGNITION MECHANISM FOR IN TERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Application filed October 17, 1918. Serial No. 258,526.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, CHARLES Y. KNIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at asadena in the county of Los Angeles and State of alifornia,have invented a certain new and. useful Improvement in IgnitionMechanism for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide ignition mechanism forinternal combustion engines which shall be of improved construction andoperation.

he invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of partsshown in the accompanying drawing and described in the followingspecification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of an internalcombustion engine showing one embodiment of the present inventionapplied thereto; and

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1. p

In the operation of internal combustion engines, and especially of highspeed and high compression engines, such as are used for racing purposesand for aerial navigation, difliculty has been experienced due to theextreme heat to which the electrodes of theignition plugs are subjected.A portion of this heat is caused by the extremely high temperaturesgenerated by the explosions following each other with such rapidity, butthe high temperature to which the electrodes are subjected is alsoaugmented by the high tension current generated by the magneto or othersource of current which must also be operated at a high speed because ofthe high speed of the engine. For instance, a motor revolving at a speedof three thousand revolutions per minute and ignited by a magnetosubjects its ignition plugs to the necessity of producing fifteenhundred sparks per minute. This produces almost a continuous are frompoint to point the heat of which is intense in the extreme, and in somecases becomes so great as to cause the materials of which the points arecomposed to melt or fuse, thereby putting the plug and consequently thecylinder out of commission.

In the present invention each cylinder is provided with a plurality ofignition plugs ASSIGNOR TO KNIGHT AMERICAN I so connected with thegenerator and so timed that the operation will be divided between thevarious plugs, the spark being produced by the different plugs insuccession. One mechanism for producing this result is shown in thedrawings in which the numeral 10 designates the casing of an enginecylinder on which are mounted a plurality of spark plugs ll, 12, 13 and14. A distributer 15 of any well known or approved construction ismounted on the cylinder casing and is provided with a plurality ofcontact members 16, 17, 18 and 19. The contact members 16, 17, 18 and 19are connected with their respective plugs 11, 12, 13 and 11 by jumpers20 and a rotary distributer arm 21 connected with the magneto or othersource of ignition current engages the contact members 16, 17, 18 and 19successively so that during the operation of the engine the spark plugsare successively connected with the ignition current. The contact arm 21is driven in synchronism with the operation of the engine and the form,of mechanism illustrated in the drawing for this purpose comprises abevel gear 22 a portion'of which is broken away in Fig. l. The bevelgear 22 meshes with a bevel pinion 23 secured to a shaft 24 journaled inbearings 25 on-the cylinder casing and driven by av chain 26 connectedwith the moving parts of the engine so that the shaft 24 and contactmember 21-will be rotated in syn chronism with the operation of thepiston cylinder. By this mechanism the plurality of spark plugs arecaused to operate one at a time to produce explosions in the enginecylinder at the proper time in the cycle of the engine operation and therotation of the contact arm 21 is so timed that the various spark plugsof each cylinder will operate successively so that when one plugoperates to cause an explosion it will remain inactive during subsequentexplosions produced. by the operation of the other spark plugs until theother spark plugs have all operated in turn to ignite the fuel in theengine each for a single explosion. In this way the rapidity of thespark of a single plug is divided by the number of sparks employed andthe contact points 6f each plug are permitted to cool during theignition produced by -the operation of the other plugs. This relieveseach plug of the effect produced by the almost continuous are resinglepl g.

plurality of I claim:

1. In combination. with the cylinder oil an internal combustion engine aplurality of ignition plugs connec 'nl with said cylinder, and meanscontrolled by the engine vfor causing said plugs to operatesuccessively.

2. In combination with the cylinder ct an internal combustion engine, aplurality of: ignition plugs for igniting the charge in said cylinder,and means controlled by the engine for successively connecting saidplugs with a source oi electrical current in synchronism with theoperation of said engine to cause said plugs to operate successively toproduce the successive explosions of the fuel in said cylinder.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a plurality of ignition plugs allconnected with he same cylinder of said engine, and means controlled bythe engine for operating said plugs successively to cessive explosionsof the fuel in said cylinder.

5 In an internal combustion ignition plugs all connect -3(. with asingle cylinder of said engine to ignite the fuel therein, and meanscontrolled by the engine for operating each of said plugs to produce anexplosion in said cylinder While the other plugs connected with said 0lindcr remain quiescent.

5. .11 an internal combustion engine, a plurality of spark plugs allconnected with the same cylinder of said engine to ignite the fueltherein, and means controlled by the engine for successively connectings: id plugs with a source of electrical energy in synchronism with theoperation O'f'SEtlfl engine so that said plugs will operate individuallyand successively to produce successive explosions in said cylinder. y 6.The combination with a cylinder of an internal combustion engine, of aplurality of ignition plugs connected therewith for igniting the chargein said cylinder, a distributor produce sue-- for successivelyconnecting said plugs with a source ot electrical energy, saiddistributer being arranged to connect but one of said plugs with saidsource at one time and inechai'iisni controlled by the engine for op--.erating said distributor in synchronism with the operation of saidengine so that when one oi? said plugs operates to ignite the fuel insaid cylinder at the proper time in the cycle of movement oi said enginethe other plugs connected with said cylinder will remain quiescent.

7. The combination with theexplosion chamber of an internal combustionengine, and means controlled by the engine for successively firing atrelatively different points Within the chamber the explosive chargesadmitted thereto.

'8. The combination. with the ex )lOSlOIl chamber of an internal.combustion engine, and a plurality oi electrodes communicating with thechamber at relatively diil'ercnt points and means controlled by theengine for successively energizing said electrodes to tire the explosivecharges admitted to the chamber.

9. The combination with the explosion chamber of an internal combustionengine and an ignition system including a plurality of spark plugsarranged to successivcly lire the explosive charges admitted to thechamber, and a rotatable device driven by the engine for successivelyclosing the ignition circuit through eachof said spark plugs.

10. The -,conibination with an internal combustion engine cylinder and aplurality of fixed spark plugs upon the cylinder for successivelyigniting the explosive charges admitted thereto a rotatable circuitclosing member driven by the engine and fixed contact members upon thespark plugs extending into the path of said rotatable circuit closing.meniber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on thisl ith day of Uctober A. D. 1918.

CHARLES Y. KNIGHT.

